9 Benefits Of Punching Bag As A Workout (Vs Running)

Punching bag is a great workout and calorie intensive. When compared to running, punching bags can be more fun, dynamic and engaging (you could even mix in kicks, elbows and hooks). 

However, punching bags can be more expensive than simply running on the street. It all comes down to your budget and preference.

Personally, I use the punching bag when working out, and I have noticed a lot of differences. I feel more balanced and agile, and my arm and shoulder muscles build up nicely. I also experienced a lot of weight loss after consistent punching bag work out. 

In this article, I will discuss the best ways to use a punching bag and the benefits of using a punching bag for your workout.

1. Punching Bags Increase Your Muscle Mass and Strength

Punching bags are great ways to increase your muscle mass and strength. Working out with a punching bag is more challenging than some other sports like running. This is because punching bags improve your cardiovascular fitness and muscular fitness. They provide you with a full-body workout.

A standard punching bag should be half of your body weight to give you an effective workout session. It is usually stuffed with dense materials like sand and sawdust to make these working equipment considerably heavy.

It’ll take a good punch to move your punching bag a few centimeters. The muscles in your shoulders, arms, knees, and legs are constantly engaged with each punch you throw. Therefore, your strength will significantly increase as you train with your punching bag until you’re strong enough to deliver blows powerful enough to move it. 

The primary benefit of punching bags over sports like running is that it requires less equipment. You only need your bag, punching gloves, and a small space to train in. You can easily fit a body-building workout routine with your punching bag into your busy schedule.

2. Punching Bags Improve Your Agility and Balance

Punching bags can also improve your agility and balance. This is because basic punching techniques are essential for effective training with a punching bag; one of these techniques is footwork.

Good footwork when punching will help you maintain your balance and agility. The harder you punch your bag, the greater the impact force you will receive from it. However, good posture will keep you stable no matter the force your punching bag brings back.

Once your feet are firm on the ground, you can agilely dodge your punching bag.

Punching bags are more beneficial than running when improving agility and balance. When punching and dodging your punching bag, better coordination is required than when running.

 

3. Punching Bags Aid Weight Loss and Toning

If you’re working towards a hot summer body, then a punching bag is a great tool to help put you in shape. Another benefit of using punching bags is that they can help you lose weight and tone up your body quickly.

Working out with a punching bag gives you intensive full-body training. You can safely burn a lot of calories with this equipment. An hour of proper training with your punching bag can result in at least 800 calories lost, more than you can get out of running.

Punching bag workouts are recommended for women who have problems losing weight after pregnancy. This is because they are a safe and effective means to lose a lot of weight within a short period.

 

4. Punching Bags Improve Your Cardiovascular Fitness

Punching bags improve cardiovascular fitness. A lot of power is involved when punching these hard bags. It increases your pulse rate, heartbeat, and cardio-respiratory system. You are less at risk of getting high blood pressure or heart diseases when you regularly train with your punching bag.

Moreover, in a study published in “The American Journal of Cardiology,” researchers found that punching bag training is more effective than running in improving heart health and reducing the risk of death from heart disease.

The study included 180 participants, ages 55 to 85 years old, who completed an eight-week aerobic exercise program of running or punching bag training three times per week.

Participants in the punching bag group increased their heart rate and expended more energy than those in the running group, despite doing the same amount of work.

Researchers believe that this is because punching bag training engages multiple muscle groups at once, while running works out one muscle group at a time.

 

5. Punching Bags Improve Your Balance and Coordination

When you’re battling the punching bag, you need to be light on your feet. This is because you will be punching and dodging your punching bag simultaneously. If you want to maximize your training, you should not hit your bag in one spot. You will have to circle the heavy bag and throw multiple punches at it. 

People who do punch bag exercises often have better balance and coordination because they stay on their toes and move in all directions. They also shift their weight from one foot to the other as they circle the punching bag. This vital footwork helps them maintain their balance and coordination.

 

6. Punching Bags Improve Strength and Endurance

It’s not easy fighting a bag that’s half your body weight. The seemingly unmovable punching bag can be a major obstacle in your path. However, the more you hit it, the more powerful your punches are until you can throw a blow that will finally move it.

A Lot of stamina is needed before your punches can move your heavy bag. You constantly have to train to build up some muscle in your entire body. But once you’ve endured all that and your physical strength is at its peak, you will have effective punches.

Punching bags are great for people who want to tone up their bodies without going on a running routine. You wouldn’t need to run 5000km daily before improving your endurance. You need a few minutes of workouts with your punching bag, and you’re good to go.

7. Punching Bags Improve Hand-eye Coordination

Punching bags as a workout can immensely improve hand-eye coordination. This is because it requires your hands and eyes to punch and dodge the heavy bag effectively. You will also develop your reflexes as you quickly change positions and deliver your blows.

 

8. Punching Bags Improve Hand-eye Coordination

Working out with your punching bag improves your mental health and mood. Punching bags are physically exertive, and whenever you do exercises with them, your body releases endorphins. These hormones make you feel good, thus significantly reducing depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Research has also proven that physically intense workouts reduce stress, like training with a punching bag. This is because your full concentration is required whenever you’re punching your heavy bag, so you wouldn’t have space in your mind to worry over anything else.

Moreover, when you punch the heavy bag, you release tension built up in your muscles caused by stress. Decreased tension in your muscles and increased endorphins in your body will lead to an overall improvement in your mental health and mood.

 

9. Punching Bags Boost Your Self-Esteem and Confidence

Punching bags can help you boost your self-esteem and confidence. When you train with the heavy suitcase continuously, your punching techniques improve. Your blows become more powerful and accurate. This makes workouts a physical activity that you can do without hesitation or fear of hurting yourself.

Punching the heavy bag will give you a sense of accomplishment when you finally move your target. It means your blows are packed with adequate force, and it will make you feel like you can take on any challenge.

As a result, you will feel more confident after training sessions because you’re well equipped for self-defense. Once you take down your punching bag, you’ll feel positive you can take down any opponent.

Additionally, you will have more confidence in your body because you are fit. Your body shape will also be improved, and this, in turn, boosts your self-esteem.

	Punching Bag	Running
Cost	More expensive	Cheaper
Calories burned	Lesser calories	More calories
Interactive	Yes	No
Workout duration	Shorter	Longer
Physicality	More challenging	Less challenging
Injury prone	Higher	Lower

 

Cost: Punching Bag Vs Running

If you want the cost-effective option, running is better than punching bags. The only thing you need to purchase is a pair of sneakers, and you’re good to go on a track or the streets. 

Whereas for a punching bag you will require to purchase a set of wraps, gloves and well… a punching bag. Not to forget that you need a space to hang the punching bag and actually practice. 

Related article: Boxing Gloves Vs Handwraps: Can You Box With Just Wraps?

Calories Burned: Punching Bag Vs Running

If you need a workout that will burn many calories, running is a better workout than a punching bag. Running has been proven to burn more calories than regular workouts with a punching bag. However, the calories burned from punching bags can be increased by adding in jumps, kicks and elbows.

 

More Interactive: Punching Bag Vs Running

If you’re looking for an engaging workout, the punching bag is a better workout than running. With a punching bag, you can incorporate different combos, footwork and dodges for a fun and interactive workout.

Running on a track or treadmill is great, but it can easily become monotonous. You’ll need a great amount of commitment to continue. Otherwise, you can get lost in the repetitive routine.

 

Workout Duration: Punching Bag Vs Running

Punching bag workouts are shorter than traditional running workouts, making them easier to fit into your schedule. You spend less time achieving a full-body workout with a punching bag. 

When you train with a punching bag, you can burn off the same amount of calories per session as running but in a shorter period. Generally, running burns off more calories because it lasts longer. 

 

Physicality: Punching Bag Vs Running

Punching bag is a more physical workout than running because it’s quite heavy and requires significant force to swing it.

The physical challenge of moving a punching bag leads to a stronger and more toned physique. Running focuses on the legs, but the punching bag focuses on the entire body, toning your upper and lower body. Thus, punching bags will give you more muscle and a better shape faster than running will.

Related Article: The Truth On Boxing And Weightlifting : Does It Help Or Hurt?

 

Injury Prone: Punching Bag Vs Running

Punching bags have a higher risk of injury compared to running. When not done correctly, you could easily twist your wrist or ankle –  especially when aiming at the middle and bottom side of the bag.

Whereas running is not as injury prone as long as you have a proper warm up and don’t trip. 

Punching bag workouts are a great alternative to running when burning calories – especially if you want to lose weight and belly fat.

According to the American Council on Exercise, effective punching bag workouts burn more than twice as many calories as running and help you shed weight. 

Also, a study published in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” found that people who performed punching bag exercises lost more weight and body fat than those who did not.

Punching bag workouts are a great way to get your cardio and muscle-building workout all in one session. Punching bag workouts are similar to traditional aerobic exercises in that they both work your entire body. They also offer a high level of intensity and are great for conditioning your muscles.

The biggest benefits of punching bag workouts are that they’re calorie-burning. If you want the most effective exercise, you should include jumps and kicks in your regular punches. This combination is ideal for weight loss goals as it fully exerts the muscles in both your upper and lower body.

Punching bag workouts can definitely build muscle. Punching these heavy bags relies mostly on your biceps and triceps. It means that working out with them can help tone your upper body.

But don’t expect to get major muscle gains from punching a heavy bag. It will help you lose weight and shape your arms and muscles more often than build them up. So if you want a muscular physique, you will need weight training.

The most appropriate time for a beginners’ training session is 20-30 minutes. You will be able to get all your fitness benefits here without over-exerting your body. 

However, professional boxers can train for up to 1 hour with a heavy bag. So it all depends on your experience level and fitness goals.

1. Ensure your gloves are secure. Wrap bandages around your hands if you don’t have punching gloves. They will protect your knuckles from bruises.
2. Warm up your body and fists before hitting the bag. This will raise your body temperature and adjust your muscles before the intense training.
3. Avoid hitting the bag too hard initially. You don’t want to over-exert yourself early into the workout session.
4. Use a variety of punches, kicks, and jumps. This is to involve all your muscles in the exercise.
5. Be patient. It takes some time to improve your punching skills. Be consistent in your workouts, and you’ll soon start throwing effective punches.
6. Make sure the punching bag is properly inflated. Over-inflating the punching bag can cause it to become unstable and difficult to use.
7. Ensure you are using the correct hand positioning when punching the bag. You need to use proper punching techniques to prevent injuries. 
8. Be cautious when hitting the punching bag. It can be dangerous if your heavy bag is not properly secured or struck inappropriately.
9. Take breaks occasionally to allow your fists and arms to rest. Prevent muscle strain.

Running may be more popular, but punching bags offer many benefits that make them a better workout choice for many people. It is a good sport for weight loss, but it also improves your balance, endurance, stability, etc.

Now that you have all this information, what are you waiting for? Grab a punching bag now and start exercising!